Derek Renn
Where are the Cavalry? Where is the rider? Where is his horse? Where is his shield? Where is his sword? Have they all gone? Have they all fallen? Have they all passed? Have they forgotten? Background Early Life Derek Renn was born shortly before the fall of Azeroth to a mercenary of Stromgarde (Adrian Renn) and his humble housewive (Alenna). His father was often hired away with his comrades to deal with brigands and rogues living in the Wetlands and Hinterlands before the Orcs invaded. At only three years old, his family was among many that fled to Lordaeron in front of the Orcish advances. With the victory of the Alliance secured a year later, Alenna and Adrian Renn were reunited in the ruins of Stromgarde, along with many other Arathi refugees and their warrior sons, brothers, and fathers. Adrian had lost an eye and had gained many scars in battle with the Orcs, and was still recuperating when Thoras Trollbane left for the Dark Portal. For the next 12 years, Adrian taught his son the many ways of combat. One in which Derek took a particular fondness to was that of the cavalry, as Stromgarde employed their own to cover the vast plains of the Highlands. With the return of the Horde, Adrian Renn went off help secure the internment camp now called Hammerfall. He was injured in the orc rebellion, but was killed during the upheaval and invasion of Stromgarde by the Syndicate and Ogres. Derek, now 17, would join the disenfranchised Law Enforcement arm of Stromgarde, hoping to secure the farmlands and homesteads of the Arathi while Galen Trollbane and his warriors retook the city. Derek was a simple Outrider for three years until being promoted to Deputy status, first for three years patrolling as the Second Deputy of the Highlands -- Thoradin's Wall and then for the next four years as the Deputy Marshal of the Arathi Highlands -- South Sector, which included many skirmishes with the Witherbark trolls as well as a joint investigation and military raid against Dun Modr with a dwarf from the Menethil Militia. Alliance Law Marshal Derek was fourth in line for a promotion to the coveted Marshal of the Highlands position, and none of the three haggard war veterans above him were going anywhere anytime soon. Hearing of many rumors of the troubles of the Alliance and particularly Stormwind, Derek would soon decide that perhaps Stromgarde would need more help than what casually came through. He proposed to Ariana Thesslocke and Prince Trollbane a plan to help warrant more aid from the Alliance. His goal was to transfer to Stormwind and, servinf as a Law Marshal, help reign in the troubles that filled the lands of the strongest Alliance Nation. It was their hope that this show of goodwill would cause, if at all else, more warriors to come whether it be by royal edict and good will or simply mercenaries. His paperwork transfer of authority to Stormwind took three weeks and most of his savings and inheritance, but eventually Deputy Derek Renn became Marshal Derek Renn, serving the Alliance in Stormwind. He hoped to work closely with the Stormwind Guard and Stormwind lancers in spreading the martial and civilian law of Stormwind across her former territories. He investigated various Defias dealings and reported smuggling involvement of the goblins in Duskwood, and due to his generous actions (as well as taking up active patrol of Duskwood, leaving the Night Watch with less to worry about), Lord Ello Ebonlocke gave Derek a deed to a small farm on the outskirts of town with which to use as his own for business. It is here he keeps many trophies as well as his three horses. While a warrior as stalwart as any other Arathi, he hoped to live a somewhat normal life, to avoid the war at all costs and insure the safety of the civilian population. Fate chose otherwise, however, and eventually he was promoted to Lieutenant and consequently took an Alliance Commission, patrolling and investigation strange things all over the Eastern Kingdoms. Demonic Offensive A Commander Arises When Derek was visiting his home of Stromgarde during the late Summer, he heard word of a large Alliance force in Hillsbrad. The sounds of ship cannons alerted him to the battle against a demonic force known as Xarith at Southshore. While Stromgarde was in no position to supply ample military forces, Derek did gather up a ragtag cavalry from the militia, Outriders, and Sons of Arathor. Riding to the assistance of the forces of Lord Feyrin Raventalon, Lady Sirithil Nightstone and Lord Thalynn Kestavin, Derek would coordinate the defense at Southshore for the final assault on the town. Battle of Alterac When Lord Raventalon, Lady Nightstone, and Lord Kestavin began to have disagreements and started to withdraw their forces from the coalition due to mistakes in strategy by, Derek relieved Lord Raventalon of his command over the Alliance forces, bringing Lord Kestavin and Lady Nightstone back into the coalition. With reinforcements from Stromgarde and Dun Garok, "General" Renn prepared his forces for the assaults to come. Marching his forces from their staging camps outside Southshore, Derek Renn initiated a bold plan of attack, based on information from Lady Nightstone and Lord Kestavin. The Demons had placed a large military force in the Ruins of Alterac with many magical items. There was also a protective shield across Silverpine, and it was deduced that destroying the artifacts in Alterac would open the woods of Silverpine for Alliance assault. Using Kestavin's forces and dwarven reinforcements from Dun Garok, a distracting action was initiated at the front gates to the ruins of Alterac. Meanwhile, the main Alliance Host would ride around back, entering through large gaps in the ruined walls of the former Kingdom. The Mages under Nightstone were tasked with destroying the magical defenses and portals, while the Alliance Host would relieve Kestavin's men of their stalling action. However, the demon Xarith sent a Fel Reaver into the battle, and in a last desperate attempt to decimate the Alliance attackers, caused the machine to self detonate. This explosion caused an avalanche, that buried many of the Alliance Host. The Mages of Nightstone and Kestavin began to hastily melt away the snow to rescue survivors, but the damage was done. Many soldiers were killed in the battle action, and Derek's own Stromgarde unit suffered heavy casualties. Weary with the loss of life and suffering from the effects of being caught in the grasp of a Death Knight during the battle, Derek had the forces regroup in Hillsbrad while the command staff went to Kestavin's manor to prepare for the final assault on Silverpine. Siege of Silverpine The Assault on Silverpine was a brutal action, and with only one roadway into the forest, the Alliance would have to face a straight-on assault into the Demonic Defenses. With the assistance of Aelanor Allastari and some Alteraci woodsmen, as well as reinforcements from Menethil Harbor and Aerie Peak, the assault was designed to force the Demons and their summoners onto a hardpressed defensive. Lady Nightstone and Lord Kestavin were charged with the main offensive. Meanwhile, Derek Renn and the Alteracis under Aelannor would travel by boat across the Lordamere Lake, taking over the high ground above Pyrewood and Shadowfang, setting up defenses to prevent any escape from the Demons and forcing the commanders to divide their forces. Derek himself would make his way across the forests to Shadowfang Keep itself, there doing battle with the commanders of the demon forces under Xarith. While his goal was to claim Shadowfang, the resistance was too much for him. After a drawn out battle that haggard him and wore him out, he was eventually thrown off the ledge close to the Shadowfang Bridge. Tumbling down the side of the path, dislocating a shoulder and spraining his ankle, Derek would quickly rush back to the Alliance Forces, which had begun to siege Pyrewood. Taking the Alteracis, Lord Kestavin, and Alahondor of the Stormwind Guard, Derek began another charge to Pyrewood, easily dispatching the defenders (as the commanding officers had fled to Pyrewood or the battle altogether). From there, and unable to enter Shadowfang, Derek watched as the Alliance Forces defeated the demons and Xarith himself, undoing the treachery of Adamis Aero. As a trophy of the war, Derek and his few remaining Stromgardians took Xarith's armor. Derek declared Martial law in the Alliance held areas of Silverpine, and began the arduous task of collecting the many demonic and magical relics, repopulating Pyrewood and Ambermill to maintain an Alliance Presence in Silverpine, and the notification to those in Stromgarde who had loved ones lost. Many awards were handed to those who had quickly responded to the threat, with Derek himself gaining a Medal of Valor. Into the Fray After the Demonic Offensive, Derek relieved his commanders and the nobles who had arrived to help, and disbanded the Coalition that had formed. Within the week, He ended the Martial Law and let the cities of Pyrewood and Ambermill return to their rightful selves. As well, Derek Renn was no longer a General, though his rise to power earned him some respect from those he had once served as a lawman. He has since been called Vasilis, meaning "noble" (read: generous, loyal) by some of his comrades. He returned to his duties to the Alliance, becoming a humbled lawman once again. Seeing their Warrior Son deal so effectively with no command experience, Stromgarde petitioned to have him sent with other Alliance marshals to investigate Cult of the Damned dealings in the Borean Tundra, in hopes of forcing him into a more war-oriented position to train him up to be a strong officer to aid in Stromgarde's reconstruction. Since then, Derek has slowly started to become more of a warrior than he originally intended, and even received a pet worg from a colleague he worked with. He has yet to name the female pup. Knighthood Returning to the Eastern Kingdoms after his quick foray into Borean Tundra, Derek was pressed further by rumors that Danath Trollbane would be returning sometime within the next year to assist in the reconstruction of his homeland. Captain Thesslocke of the Knights of Stromgarde - Cavalry desired there to be more fresh and prideful blood to present to Danath as new Heroes of Stromgarde, to show to him that their nation was crippled, but not lost. With Derek's efforts in Southern Lordaeron known, she continuously pressed Derek to join the military branch, where she could promote him to the rank of Knight of Stromgarde. She has often pulled strings to force the Law Enforcement of Stromgarde to include him into various military functions, often as a sort of military police for the disputed Arathi Basin. Derek eventually relented, and was advanced to the rank of Knight. He refused to take land in his ascent to lower ranked Nobility, however, and was given the title Knight-Lord as a complimentary measure.